St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-12-29
mWbv. pran'. it's the fashion.n

child it amt decent, nor it amt pref
| ty. Who wants to see them girls
bones and girls in these days haven't
got much more'n skin and bones
Mabbe that young doctor may like
studyin' of 'em, and SEEM how the
j'ints work but l should ruther be g
dead skeleton than a live one, if / was
a-goin' to be studied by young doc
tor"
"Grandma, l do think you're dread
full Why Alice Brooks has got neck
and arms like a baby; and Rosins
Leavitt's are lovely too, if she is lit
tie dark"
"Well, anyway, call it cruelty to
animals to hev them girls go out in
that condition of cold winters night
into a big draughty church. Be you
goin' low too ~
"Oh, no! It's not the fashion fol-
brides. Pm goin' to have white satin
high to the throat and down to the
wrists, with beautiful lace all about it. p
81 guess your pa wouldn't let you GO
any other way" dryly remarked
grandma.
81 guess he'd have to, if twas the
fashion," pOuted Nanny.
"Well, fools amt all dead yet" re-
tOrted grandma, with some severity.
"When l was married twas daylight,
and to home. Eben and me was goin'
down to Boston for IA spell he was In
old Silas Bunker's store then. [ had
on a dark blue cloth habit with frogs
onto it, and ii big LeghOrn bonnet with
white feather, real long and curly ,
an some red roses under the front ont.
Twas warm an sensible for long ride
in September, and our folks thought L
looked considerable WE'LL"
The old lady's keen dark eyes and
delicate aquiline profile, though the
waved hair was now snow white, and
the small mouth had lost its color and
fulness, made Nanny acquiesce in
"Our folks" verdict.
81 guess you looked just lovely,
grandma; but"
'Say here's the doctOr!" screamed
Thankful Bangs, who was setting the
table for dinner, and Nanny's speech
never was finished, for she and grand
ma rushed out to meet the welcome
guest.
Two hours after, when the dinner
had been discussed and the guests
were picking out their walnuts and
course at Traverse for Thanksgiving
dinner, Mrs. Campbell said, suddenly,
"Oh, Nanny l quite forgot. Here's
little note that came for you after you
left"
the fashion of woman eyed it on the
outside, turned it over and examined
the seal, and the returned it and in
81, Il nd hn
pOstmark.
"Seems to me it would be Il quicker
way to find out who wrote it if you
opened it," remarked DR.. Campbell.
Nanny laughed, and broke the seal.
"Oh dear!" she said, after running
through the brief missive. "Isn't this
provoking! 1t is Aida Van Alstyne.
just hear:
"'My dear Nanny.-I have only
found ont TO-DAY that your "maids" in
tend TO wear low dresses. | have new
er given in to that style yet, but if |
could sacrifice what you would call my
prejudices and L call my principles Oh
any occasion, or for any one, 1t would
now for you. However, L have Il
threatening cold which L must nurse,
and perhaps you will remember that |
had pneumonia last winter, SO | can
not, for my health's sake, wear any
thing but high -necked and long
sleeved dress. Now [ shall not feel at
all aggrieved if you drop me from the
company Of bridesmaids on this ac-
count; but [ want you to let me know
just as soon as possible, SO that l may
or may not engage Madame DelanO.
"'YOurs lovingly.
Aida VAN ALSTYNE."
"Isn'5 it too bad % exclaimed Nanny,
as she laid down the note.
"TOo good to be true" growled the
doctor.
"What shall [ do ?" asked Nanny.
looking about her in u sort of mild de-
spair. "She's my intimate friend, and
was going to be my first bridesmaid
she's such u nice Cont asst to me, and
Pm SO fond of her. And she's sent me
the loveliest present I've had-such
set of pale pink coral and pearls Oh,
dearn
81 should think she'd got some
sense" put in grandma. 81 don't see
why you want to make your weddin'
killin' business to all them poor young
creeturs."
"That's just it, mother," said the
doctor, putting down the red apple he
was quartering. Last winter there
was just such anoGer wedding in De-
cember. All those girls0ad to ride
mile to the vestry of st. Paul's; form
there and tramp round to the front
door of the church drop their wraps
off at the door, where the cold wind
struck their bare chests and shoulders;
stand twenty minutes at the altar; ride
back that mile and stand up all the
evening at a reception 80 crowded that
the windows had to be dropped from
the top to prevent asphyxia and then
at midnight drive back to their homes,
the thermometer being six below zero.
There were six bridesmaids there two
had pneumonia within the week one
had acute bronchitis; another tonsili-
tbs; the other two, being tough or case
escaped with severe colds.
So much for low dress at a church
wedding"
NANNY wasn't one of 'em 2" asked
grandma, anxiOusly.
"No; she went to the wedding, but
by vigorous researches into the posi-
bilities of fashion | discovered that
young women do sometimes wear what
they call V-shaped necks to their
dresses-a fashion that only exposes |
the most sensitive part of their lungs |